The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-08-10

the blotter over it; then folded it up
and put it into my vest pocket, and
went to my dinner Before returning
to the store-the weather had grown
cooler than it was in the morning-I
changed my pants and vest for thicker
ones; and forgot the receipt in the
vest pocket That night when I went
home it was not to be found, and
have not been able to find it since.
'Tm almost through, sir: Just one
week from the day on which paid the
money in at Sturgis', Mr. Merriam re-
ceiyed letter from Colonel Penning-
ton, in which, at the end-after the
business-occurred this passage: MY
dear old fellow, when are you going to
let me hear from you? haven't been
blessed with your kind remembrance,
don't know when"
"When was that?" I asked.
"Last week Tuesday, sir"
"And you gave the money in at
Sturgis' counting-room when?"
THE Tuesday before that, sir-the
thirteenth of the present month of Sep
| tember."
nodded for him to 60 on.
"After Mr. Merriam had showed me
the letter. and told me to read that
sentence, he asked me if / was sure
had given the money to be sent to
Colonel Pennington. You can imagine
was indignant. But I didn't know
then how much I'd been suspected.
| held in as best could, and told him
had given the money into the hands of
the bookkeeper, Damon Wadleigh.
During the afternoon he--Merriam--
called in at Sturgis' and-sir-O!
can't understand it-they all-Sturgis
and Wadleigh, and all there employed
swear that they never saw the money!
II forgot to say, sir. that Mr.. Mer-
riam asked me if took a receipt; and
it was when I confessed the loss. of
that that my heart began to quake.
Yes, sir, they swear-all in
the counting-room-that they never
saw the money. Mr.. Sturgis says he
filled out check. as he had said he
should, on the afternoon Of the 18th
inst, and mailed it to Colonel Penning-
ton, at Joliet but nothing had been
received-so nothing had been covered
in-on the account of Merriam & Co."
Then, in broken accents, the young
man told me that he had been accused
of embezzlement; had been brought
before trial justice for preliminary
examination, and bound over to appear
before the grand jury in October. The
evidence before the justice had been
deemed by most of those present as
conclusive.
There was the case. Bracket said
he had searched in vain for the receipt
But the missing receipt was not all.
The lifting of the mortgage from the
house told heavily against him.
He had himself paid the money, and
the business had been done in his
name. Yet he had utterly refused to
tell where the money had come from,
and had almost cried-had fairly shed
tears-when pressed and badgered on
that point. That the astute justice had
taken as sure sign of guilt
asked him if he suspected Damon
Wadleigh of having appropriated the
money to his own use. He shook his
head obviously He knew not what
to think. He and Wadleigh had
always been most excellent friends,
though he had never been able to keep
exactly the expensive company that
Damon did. '.But, mind YOU" he
added, Idon't mean to intimate by
that that he ever lives beyond his
means"
l thought the matter over. Really
and sincerely, l believed my client in
nocent.
"Look here" said ], as the thought
struck me; "did Colonel Pennington
speak, in the letter which Merriam
showed to you, of the amount due him
AioH youI AIms
Il am very sure he did not" re-
piled the youth. "He-the Colonel
and Arnold Merriam, were college
mates, and have been close friends
ever since. My thought of the pas
sage was that he had missed his old
friends chatty, newsy letters"
/ had about made up my mind to
send the young man away until the
next day, that might think, and per-
haps, investigate, when the thought
occurred to me-a thought so simple
so exceedingly simple-that it had
not found Judgment before: "What
does Colonel Pennington say about
itp''
Bracket didn't know. He was very
sure the Colonel had not been written
to.
well" said l, "let us begin at the
bottom. The money was for Colonel
Pennington. If there had been no
wrong done by anybody, he should
have received it." And l sat down
and wrote rs follows, with date and
the address at my end of the line:
To COLONEL WALTER PENNINGTON, JOLIET
ILL.,: Have you received five hundred dollars,
which should have been forwarded to you from
Arnold Merriam, of this place, on the 18th in
slant! Answer Immediately to me.
/ signed my name; gave it to Charles
Bracket babe him take it to the West
ern Union Office, and remain for an
answer.
r., iifffo mora tho, hale m ha,. AZ